The present invention relates to packaging machines, particularly a wraparound packer, tray shrink packer, pad shrink packer and shrink packer machines, having modular components.
The explosion of consumer items that are mass manufactured and sold to the public has resulted in the packaging of such items becoming an important and significant step in production. As a result, specialized packaging machines have been developed which are generally dedicated to a specific item, and which provide identical packaging with little flexibility to change the size, type or arrangement of the package or to adapt the machine to the item being packaged.
A number of packaging machines are well known in the art, including wraparound packers, tray shrink packers, pad shrink packers and shrink packer machines. Wraparound packers (WP), for instance, package consumer items in cardboard or paperboard cartons by folding and sealing a blank to form a box around the articles. Tray shrink packers (TSP), on the other hand, package articles by forming a cardboard tray around a group of articles, including folding and gluing upright panels of the tray, then wrapping heat shrinkable film around the tray and articles. Heat is applied and the film shrinks to define the TSP package. Pad shrink packers (PSP) position a pad beneath a group of articles, without forming a tray, and wrap the pad and articles in heat shrinkable film, after which heat is applied to shrink the film. A shrink packer (SP) wraps a sheet of heat shrinkable film around a group of articles without any support from a tray or pad, and applies heat to shrink the film and make the package rigid.
The various packaging machines (WP, TSP, PSP, SP) discussed above are used as efficiency dictates based upon the weight, rigidity and size of the articles and packages produced. If a small package is desired, for instance, which does not require a pad or tray for structural support, a shrink packer (SP) would be used because the expense and step of inserting a pad or tray is not necessary. For heavier or larger articles, however, a tray or pad may be necessary to give a package adequate rigidity and integrity.
In a number of specific examples, packaging machines have been designed to act as more than one type of the above described packaging machines (WP, TSP, PSP, SP). One specific application has been the use of a machine used as a tray shrink packer, pad shrink packer or shrink packer in the packaging of upright cylindrical articles, such as beverage bottles or cans. It is well known in the art that such articles can be conveniently and efficiently packaged in six pack, twelve pack, twenty-four pack, or forty-eight pack packages utilizing a tray shrink packer (TSP) machine. In prior art devices of this type, the articles are organized into a set to be packaged and a tray blank is positioned on a conveyor. The articles are then placed upon the tray blank and the tray blank is folded and glued to form a tray around the articles. Then, a film of heat shrinkable material is wrapped around the articles and tray, secured and heat shrunk to provide a package suitable for shipment to retailers or consumers. Bottles or cans may also be packaged in smaller packages utilizing a pad shrink packer (PSP) or shrink packer (SP) machines. In a pad shrink packer (PSP) machine, a simple pad, rather than a tray blank, is placed under the articles and the step of forming the tray, the step just prior to the wrapping with and heating of film, is eliminated. In a shrink packer machine, no tray blank or pad is placed beneath the articles. The film is wrapped and heat shrunk, without a need for additional support from a pad or tray, to complete the package.
A number of prior art packaging machines have provisions for performing additional operations during the packaging sequence. Specifically, some prior art packaging machines include provisions for turning the packages prior to exiting the machine to aid in further handling and shipment. Also, it is known in the art that successive groups of articles can be stacked by a properly equipped packaging machine to provide a two-tiered package. In tray shrink packer (TSP) machines, for instance, prior art devices have included stacking between the folding and gluing tray forming step and the application of the heat shrinkable film, so that twenty-four packs of cans in trays can be placed in a two-tier stack to provide a forty-eight article package. Heat shrinkable film is then wrapped, secured and heated to shrink it to provide a secure rigid two-tier package.
In the prior art packaging machines described above, packaging of articles is generally performed in a multiple step sequence. Initially the articles, such as beverage cans or bottles, are received in random, unordered arrangement. An infeed conveyor arranges the articles into lanes for further processing. A group of the laned articles is then separated out by a collator which separates the laned articles into package groups by using separator bars mounted on the conveyor which receive the laned articles from the infeed conveyor/lane divider.
In a wraparound packer (WP), a cardboard blank is then provided from a tray magazine and positioned beneath the group of articles being packaged. The blank is then folded and glued to form a box around the packaged articles.
In a tray shrink packer (TSP) machine, the next step in the sequence after the formation of package groups is to register the articles onto a cardboard blank. A blank is supplied from a magazine and is positioned beneath the group of articles being packaged. Outer extending flanges of the tray are then folded upright and glued together around the group of articles to form a packed tray. In a pad shrink packer (PSP), a pad, rather than a tray blank, is positioned beneath the articles being packaged and there is no step of folding and gluing the flanges.
In tray shrink packer (TSP), pad shrink packer (PSP) and shrink packer (SP) machines, a sheet of heat shrinkable film is wrapped around the articles and the pad (PSP machine), and the tray (TSP machine). The film is secured and the package wrapped in film, is conveyed into an oven wherein heat is applied to shrink the film into tight engagement. In prior art packaging machines equipped for such, the steps of turning or stacking packages are performed prior to the application of heat shrinkable film.
In prior art packaging machines utilizing the multiple step packaging sequence described above, it is desirable to keep the machine operating continuously, without interruption, for maximum efficiency. While the articles are moved from section to section in sequence in a packaging machine, it is necessary to control the movement so that the number of articles being processed in every section is the same or appropriately cycled to allow continuous operation. To effect continuous processing in every section of the machine, prior art packaging machines have utilized, either a single conveyor which moves the articles through the packaging sequence, or a number of individual conveyors which are mechanically linked to ensure same speed processing in all sections of the packaging machine. A single mechanical drive providing the motive force for all of the conveyors in a packaging machine solves the continuity problem by having all the sections operating at the same speed, but it has the significant disadvantage of having complicated mechanical interconnections that make it difficult to isolate sections of the machine for maintenance.
The prior art packaging machines described above have equipment to perform all of the desired functions mechanically interconnected and mounted on a large frame. Even when multiple conveyors are used to move the articles through the various steps in the packaging sequence, the conveyors are mechanically interconnected and a large frame is provided on which the conveyors and other packaging equipment are mounted and affixed.
A significant disadvantage of the prior art packaging machine wherein multiple sequential steps are performed is that a breakdown or malfunction of any step in the sequence incapacitates the entire machine. To remove a portion of a prior art packaging machine it is necessary to mechanically disconnect and remove the problem equipment from the large frame. When a single drive motor with multiple belts or couplings is utilized, the isolation of a single section is difficult and time consuming. Particularly in the case of a major breakdown requiring the manufacturer of the machine to repair or adjust it, it is a significant expense and effort for the user to either ship the entire frame mounted packaging machine in for repair or to have a specialist come on site to effect the repair. The size of a packaging machine performing multiple sequential steps, particularly the large frame on which equipment is mounted, along with the complicated mechanical interconnections therein, make the prior art packaging machines undesirable because a catastrophic equipment failure of any single step in the sequence abruptly halts packaging and manufacturing. Performing repairs on these prior art packaging machines is difficult because the complicated mechanical interconnections make accessibility difficult.
In addition to the foregoing shortcomings, the prior art packaging machines are also disadvantageous in that they are not flexible or easily altered to package different articles or provide different kinds of packages. Until now, when a desired packaging scheme was identified, a machine was designed to perform the various steps of lane dividing, collation, tray or pad positioning, tray forming, shrinkwrapping, stacking, etc. to repetitively provide the desired package. To eliminate a step from the sequence, such as removing the step of stacking, tray forming, etc. mechanically disengagement of equipment, including coordinated conveyors, and provision for the package group to pass through the disengaged section were necessary. It is a complicated endeavor to remove mechanically linked equipment in the machine.
In addition to the above-described disadvantages, maintenance of prior art packaging machine is problematic. Mechanical linkages between steps and equipment in the sequence must continually be fine tuned to ensure systematic processing and to ensure that all sections operate at the same speed or under controlled cycling.
It is desirable to provide a packaging machine which is not mounted on a large frame wherein steps in the packaging sequence comprise individual steps performed by separate, compartmentalized modules. Such a packaging machine can be easily modified to alter the packaging sequence by inserting or deleting a module. One embodiment of the present invention provides for each module to be driven independently without mechanical linkages to the preceding and proceeding modules in the sequence, and thus requires precise control of the speed with which each module is operating. To ensure continuous operation, the speed at which the modules operate must be coordinated, so a supervisory control over all of the modules is required. Another embodiment discloses the use of quick connect mechanically couplings between consecutive modules to take advantage of their modular nature while allowing multiple modules to be driven by a single drive.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine comprising multiple modules that may be inserted or removed to alter the packaging machine and sequence to define the package produced thereby.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine wherein the means for moving articles and a package group therethrough are linked between modules by simple disengageable mechanical couplings.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine comprising interconnected modules that do not require a frame for structure or support.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine wherein multiple independent modules have independent conveyors driven by mechanically independent servo drives.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular packaging machine wherein a supervisory computer coordinates and controls independent servo drives on each of various modules in such a manner that continuous packaging is accomplished.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modular packaging machine wherein multiple modules share a drive means through the use of quick connect means.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a modular packaging machine wherein separate modules may be easily inserted or removed from the stream of packaging without complex mechanical attachment or detachment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular packaging machine wherein it is not necessary to mount equipment performing discrete functions in the packaging process on a continuous frame.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular packaging machine wherein the speed with which each module operates is computer controlled to allow flexibility to speed up or slow down the module by simply reprogramming the computer without the need for mechanical adjustment or modification.
These and other objects of the present invention are satisfied by the embodiments of the invention described in more detail herein. These objects are meant to be illustrative and not limiting. The manner of operation, novel features and further objects and advantages of this invention may be better understood by reference to the description and drawings set forth herein.
According to the foregoing objectives, this invention is a packaging machine comprising multiple modules, each of the modules performing a separate function in the packaging sequence. Articles being packaged are conveyed through the machine by individual conveyors provided on each of the modules. The flow of articles through the packaging machine is controlled to allow continuous packaging by providing a controller which coordinates the speeds at which each of the modules and individual conveyors operate.
A significant advantage of the present invention is that, as a result of the modular nature of the components which do not require or depend on a frame for mounting, individual modules performing discrete packaging functions may be selectively added or removed to define or redefine the packaging machine. The full impact of this advantage is that a variety of different size, shape and format packages may be produced by simply inserting or removing modules into the stream of packaging. Functionalities can be provided to make the packaging machine a tray shrink packer, pad shrink packer, shrink packer, stacker, turner, or various combinations thereof, by inserting and removing modules to perform the specific and discrete packaging functions desired. The modules performing each of those functions are driven by independent and easily severed drive means, allowing each to function as if they are individual machines.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is advantageously modular compared to prior art packaging machines because the compartmentalization of the steps in the packaging sequence into modules allows addition or removal of functionality without requiring mechanical redesign or complex retrofitting. A module can be physically positioned in the packaging machine between other modules and plugged into a supervisory computer or quickly connected to another computer controlled drive, the computer defining the speed with which the module operates and the packaging function is performed. The speed is controlled such that articles are processed through each module at a speed consistent with the rest of the machine, comprising other modules, to allow continuous packaging.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention each module of the present invention has an onboard servo drive which provides the motive force and drives the conveyor responsible for moving the package group through the module. In addition, some modules are equipped with a second servo drive to provide the motive force for another element in the module, such as a film wrapper arm in a film wrapper module. These additional servo drives are also controlled by the supervisory computer and may be driven at nonuniform speeds as necessary for the rest of the packaging operation to continuously package articles.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention two or modules share a drive means that are quickly and easily connected and disconnected. Specifically, a drive means comprising a drive shaft is positioned below the module""s conveyor means. The drive shafts on successive modules are positioned and designed such that, when the modules are positioned next to one another, the drive shafts line up so that a quick connect coupling allows the modules to be quickly and easily linked together.
The present invention contemplates the use of nine (9) modules which may be combined to provide a wide variety of package formats. More modules may be added to provide additional discrete packaging functions without departing from the principles of the present invention. Each module performs a specific discrete function in the packaging sequence and, in the preferred embodiment wherein each module has an independent servo drive, each is plugged into the supervisory computer to become part of the packaging machine. An infeed conveyor/lane divider module receives articles and separates them into lanes. An onboard servo drive controlled by the supervisory computer determines the speed of the conveyor and the speed with which the articles are laned.
A collation and synchronization module is provided which separates the laned articles into package groups for further processing and, when it is desired to provide a pad shrink packer or tray shrink packer, a pad or blank is received from the blank magazine and registered under the package group. The computer controls the speed of the conveyor and, thus the speed with which package groups are processed, as well as the speed with which the pad or blank is received and registered under the package group.
When the machine is to function as a tray shrink packer, the next step in the packaging sequence is performed by a gluing and closing module, inserted to perform a function in the packaging sequence wherein the blank is folded and glued to form a tray around the package group. An onboard servo drive which drives the conveyor and thereby defines the speed of processing through the gluing and closing module is controlled by the supervisory computer to be consistent with other modules.
When it is desired to either turn the package for reorientation or to stack two (2) packages to create a two-tier package, separate modules are available to do both under the principles of the present invention. A turning module includes an onboard servo drive which defines the speed with which packages are processed through the turning module and which is controlled by the supervisory computer. The stacker module, on the other hand, includes an onboard servo drive on the conveyor which defines the speed with which packages are processed through the stacker, but it also includes a second servo drive which drives the lift arms at an accelerated pace. The supervisory computer provides for the acceleration and deceleration of the lift arm drive to effect the stacking. The supervisory computer controls the two (2) drives independently and at a speed consistent with the rest of the machine.
Whenever it is desired to provide heat shrink wrapping functionality, as with a shrink packer, pad shrink packer or tray shrink packer, three (3) additional modules are added. A film cutting module is provided which provides appropriately sized sheets of heat shrinkable film for the package group. An onboard servo drive on the film cutting module is controlled by the supervisory computer to generate the proper length of film and to deliver it when necessary. A film wrapping module receives the sheet of film and wraps it around the package group through the use of a wrapping arm. An onboard servo drive on the film wrapping conveyor defines the speed with which packages are processed through the module, while a second servo drive on the film wrapping arm drives the arm at an accelerated speed that allows the film to be completely wrapped around the package group including the pad or tray. Finally, a heat shrink tunnel module is provided wherein heat is applied to shrink the film into tight engagement with the package group. A variable speed drive on the heat shrink conveyor defines the speed with which the package groups are processed through the heat shrink tunnel.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a modular packaging machine of the type described above is provided wherein successive modules share drive means that are quickly and easily coupled and uncoupled. Specifically, individual compartmentalized modules, such as the nine described above, are provided. The conveyor in a specific module is mechanically linked to and driven by, in this embodiment, a drive shaft mounted below the conveyor. The modules are designed such that the center line of the drive shaft is identical in all modules so that, when two modules are positioned in succession in the packaging sequence, the drive shafts may be quickly and easily mechanically coupled together. Multiple modules are driven by a single motor in this way while the modularity of the packaging machine is retained. The function of the packaging machine thus remains flexible through the insertion or removal of modules as desired.
Although the present invention discloses the use of nine (9) modules, additional modules providing other packaging functionalities are contemplated. Specifically, modules providing functions which include onboard servo drives or which provide means for quick insertion or removal into the stream of packaging to change the functionality of the packaging machine do not depart from the principles of the present invention.